Process for producing phenolic sulfides



Aug.l 1 9, 1947. 1.... PETERS. JR.; Erm.Vr 2,425,324

RRCESS FOR PRODUCING PBENOLIG SULFIDES med uw.Y 28. 1944 4" unmbt US 0.02.1*

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NRYNUQU Y K. Y knik wr@ klUNl INKW the alkylatedA phenolic vmaterial. a sulfur halide'or produce l duty Diesel engines and forsimilar use,

Patented Aug. 19, 1947 raocsss Foa raoDUcrNG ruENoLxc sommes l Theodore JaPeters, Jr., Roselle, -i Kane; Elisabeth, N. J

`Oil Development Company. a

' `V Delaware Application signora to Standard corporation"` of December 2s. laisserai No. 510,181

efoiaims. (ci. 2st-sos) The present` invention relates to the `art of producing alkylated phenolic sulildes and derivatives thereof which are useful as addition agentsto hydrocarbon lubricants, oils, waxes. greases and the like Aand to rubber, or rubber-like. polymers because of powerful anti-corrosion andanti-oxidation properties and for other importantuses.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description and the drawing.I

The drawing is a semi-diagrammatic view in sectional elevation of an` apparatus inrwhich the present process can be carried out and indicates v the ilow of material. M y

`In preparing 'alkylated phenolic sulildes, disulfides and the like, eitherr for 4themselves or as intermediates 'in the `production oi derivatives,` is `treated with -a mixtureof the halides. In practice the conversion to thevsulde or disulilde takes considerable time because o! the `fact that the materials are so extremely reactive thatthey must be added very slowly over a period of tour or rive hours or more so as not to excessively loam and overheat. The reaction has ordinarily been carried out in the past in rather small batches Where control is more easily effected. During the reaction considerable heat ishgenerated and hydrochloric acid vapor passes ofi. The reaction is probably not merely a simple linking of two of the phenolic rings through a sulfur atom or a chain of two such atoms but is accompanied by polymerization iwhicl'rmay.V proceed so `iar as to definite -resinification .which is undesira-ble for the present purpose.` Partial polymerization is not particularly objectionable but it is preferred to produce auniiorrn'or` reasonably homogeneous material and not one which varies in the degree or proportion of polymer from time to time and indifferent batches.

..'l'heproduct,` as noted before, may beused advantageously as such in a blend with lubricating oils, greases and the like and also it maybe caused withdrawn through @reason ior e oil stands in the presence oi water. The this is not fully understood but it is 4believed to take place when excessive polymeriza-l tion has tairen place and a non-uniform product `ismade` during the suliurization step. In any case. it has been found by the present process that a material may begproduced with extremely low water sensitivity and that it can be produced consistently and uniformly.

Referring to the drawing,

when t numerall denotes a tank from which is suppliedV sulfur halide `either the monochloridadlchloride oramixture of the two dissolved inA a suitable solvent the nature of which will be disclosed below. Numeral 2 denotes a similar tank from which-the phenolic material is also supplied either assuch orin afsolution in thesolvent. These materials may be supplied by pipes l and ,l and discharged' i'to a tubular `reaction vessel or mixer 5 `which is provided with a Jacket l, for cooling,` and preierablyntted with interior plates `or members shown `generally Aat 1 to effect a mixing of the reactants duringtheir ilow through the reactor tube. A

The product is continuously"discharged into a separatorl'which is enlarged and allows the hydrochl'oric acid vapors to be released and'to be a vapor pipe 9. Steam or inert gas may be added ,through a pipe ill so as to assist the stripping and if desired the4 whole vessel 8 may be maintained under a reduced 'pressure by means oifa vacuum pump not shown.

Theproductiwithdrawn from vessel 8 is substantially free from hydrochloric acid` andilows through pipe il to a still i2 iromwhich the solvent is removed by the vapor pipe I3 to a condenser I4 and concentrated phenol sulde is removed by the pipe i5.

to react with metal oxides or` hydroxides to pro# duce phenolates such as those of the second group of the periodic table, calcium, zinc, magf nesia and other metals such as alumina andtin.

These phenolates are particularly advantageous when used in lubricating oils, especially` in heavy eiglecting a cleansing action, preventing deposition of carbon and varnish formation over long periods of time. This use is quite exacting and it has been found from time to time a troublesome sensitivity to `water which results at least part ci the additive in a separation of that certain materials show Y preferably diluted If thismaterial is to be used as such, it will be drawn ofi at i8 but ii itis to be converted to a metalphenolate, as disclosed above. it will be with a..hydrocarbon` oil supplied by line l i1 and the proper metal oxide, hydroxide or the like is added at |8.` These reactantsare then 4Passed toV a still I! in which the reaction takes 20 and iscooled in the cooler 2 i." The apparatus described above is "quite suitableior the production of phenol sulfides and their metal derivatives but other *forms of apparatus can, of course, be used. For example, the ingredients maybe continuously added while in solution to a vessel such as 8, shown above, in which the reaction actually takes' place in addition totheevolution of hydrochloric acid. The

place withan evolutionv of wa- A ter vapor. The metal vphenolate dissolved in oil i is removed'by` pipe 3. reaction is quite rapid and in a continuous process it is found toA be quite instantaneous. ,The

important point of the process is to at all times maintain the desired narrow limits or ratios of the reactants present and while this can be gained by rapid mixing Without the use of solvent, it has been found that by use of solvents the time of mixing is greatly reduced and there is an assurance of uniformity throughout the reaction vessel. The reaction itself appears to take very little time under these conditions andv most of the time is consumed in insuring a completef stripping of hydrochloric acidfrom the product. If desired, the reaction may, of course, take place in batch equipment.

The sulfur halides are soluble'in many organic solvents and among these the halogenated hydro- .Y

carbon solvents, such as alkyl halides, ethylene dichloride, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride and the like are the best, but solventk naphtha and variousaromatic solvents such as benzene, toluol and xylol may be used since they are substantially inert under the conditions employed here.

These solvents are relatively low boiling, chloroform, for example, boiling atr 61.5 C., carbon tetrachloride boiling at about 76 C., benzene at about,

80 C., and toluol at about111 C.

It is preferable to employ the same solvent for dissolvingk the separate reactants although, of course, this is not necessary but it is preferable since solvent recovery is greatly rsimplified in' this way.. The equipment-,should be constructed of materials which are not corroded by thesulfur halides, for example, glass lined equipment may -be used, or it maybe constructed' of nickel or lined with such metals. l

The sulfur halides and therphenolic materials are supplied in proportionsr of from 1.25'to 1.75

Y- and preferably 11/2 yparts of the halide to Z'parts of the phenolic material and the temperature is kept well below the boiling temperature of the solvent, preferably below 50 C. Various phenolic materials may be used and for the making of petroleum additives the alkyl groups should be preferably ofmore than four carbon atoms; for example, amyl phenol, octyl, dodecyl phenols are all easily prepared very satisfactorily by this means. Y

When suitable metal oxides are caused to react with them, the sulfurized metal phenates proyduced are highly satisfactory because of their excellent properties as well as their insensitivity. Example of halide and phenol were concurrently added in stoichometric amounts so that 1.5 mols of sulfur chloride were added in proportion to 2 mols of the phenol. `A slight vacuum was held on the reaction vessel for the removal of hydrochloric acid along with a small amount of solvent. The

`temperature was maintained at about 30 C.

throughout. After both solutions had been added,

apparent below, and the remainder ofthe solvent was removed. The resulting mixture contained 33.9% of the phenolic sulfide, 6.6% stearyl alcohol, and 59.5% lubricating oil. This mixture was heated to 11S-120 C. and mixed with 20% excess ofthe stoichiometric amount of barium hydroxide containing 8 mols of water commonly known as barium octahydrate to neutralize the phenol. Filter aid was added and the mixture was ltered at v150 C. The :final product then contained 40% by weight of the metal salt of the alkyl phenolsulflde, 6%l by weight of stearyl alcohol and 54% by vweight of lubricating oil.

The Water sensitivity of the material was then tested by iirst blending it with a lubricating oil so as to contain 2.5% of the added concentrate, that is to say 1%' of the additive per se with 1% by weight of water, for a period of 15 minutes using a motor driven egg beater type of mixer, specifically the one known as the MiXmaster, operated at maximum speed. After stirring, the emulsied mixture was poured into a 500- graduate and allowed to stand for 24 hours. At the end of this period, the amount of emulsion layer separated from theoil was recorded and expressed as cc. of emulsion per500 cc. sample. The smaller the amount of separation,-the better are the water resistant qualities of the additive.

In three successive tests with-the above mentionedadditive, the water sensitivity is recorded as 3, 2 and 4 cc. respectively, giving an average of 3. For comparison it may be stated that similar material prepared in a commercial plant with no care to provide proper ratios of sulfur halide and phenol, as disclosed herein, gave products of widelyv varying sensitivity, averaging 60,' and rover a. two month period and with spot samples,

I .suliides anddisulfides which comprises admixing the total mixture contained 17% by `weight of sulfurized tertiary octyl phenol. The material was stirred thoroughly until all of the hydrochloric acid was removed and about one-half the solvent was then removed by vacuum stripping. Lubricating oil, SAE-20 grade; andvstearyl alcohol were then added in proportions as Will be drawing a solution of .phenolic material and the sulfur halide, holding the temperature of the mixture down by cooling so that it does not rise substantially above 50l C. and maintaining the ratio` of phenolic material and sulfur halide within the limits of 1.25 to 1-.75 mol of the halide to 2 of the phenolic material throughout the reaction period, and removing hydrochloric acid as a vapor.

2. An improved process for. producing phenolic sulfides and disulfides which comprises mixing the phenolic material and the sulfur halidesand maintainingthe reactants in proportion of from 1.25 to 1.75 mols of the halide to 2 mols of the phenolic material during the entire reaction period while cooling to prevent the temperature of the reaction mixture from rising substantially above 50 C. and while removing the hydrochloric acid vapors from the product. Y

3. An improved process forl producing phenolic suldes andrdisulfides which Acomprises passing solutions of alkylated phenolic material and a sulfur halide in an inert solvent through a mixing zone while maintained at a temperature below`50 C. and thence to an enlarged zone, continuously providing a xedratio of approximately 1.5 mols of halide to 2 ofthe phenolic material throughout the reaction period, withdrawing hydrochloric acid vapors ,therefrom and withthe product.

' 4. An improved process for producing diisobutyl phenol sulde `and disulde which comprises separately dissolving tertiary octyl phenol in an inert solvent, dissolving a sulfur halide in another portion of the same solvent, passing thetwo dissolved ingredients continuously into an enlarged zone `while maintaining the molal ratio of approximately .75 between the halide and phenolic material and the-temperature below 50" C., withdrawing vaporized hydrochloric acid f vapors therefrom and continuously withdrawing the productA from the enlarged zone.

5. An improved process for producing phenolic sulildes and disulildes which comprises admixing solutions of a phenolic material and sulfur halide While cooling to a. temperature below 50 C., maintaining a. ratio of 1.25 to 1.75 mols of the halide to 2 of the phenolic material throughout the reactionl period, removing hyrdochloride acid vapors andwithdrawing.theproduct.

6. Process according to claim 5 in which the 6 hydrochloride acid vapors are continuously re- 4 moved.

THEODORE J. PETERS. J n. JAMES E. J. KANE.

REFEBEN CES CITED The followingr references are of record in the vfile of this patent:

Mikeska. Dec. 6, 1938 

